Bernier: How I'd play Santa Anita for Saturday, May 26, 2018

Saturday’s card at Santa Anita features three graded stakes races: two of the Grade 1 variety as well as a Grade 2. Race 5 is the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, with a solid group of older horses going 1 1/4 miles on the main track. Race 6 is the Whittingham at 1 1/4 miles on the turf course, and I think there’s an opportunity to take a mild swing against the likely favorite, Itsinthepost. I’ll play a few daily doubles linking races 5 and 6.

RACE 5 – GOLD CUP AT SANTA ANITA

CITY OF LIGHT (4) and ACCELERATE (2) put on a show last month in the Oaklawn Handicap, and they deserve to be the favorites in Saturday’s Gold Cup. There is no doubt about the level of talent City of Light brings to the table, but there is a mild concern about his ability to see out the 10-furlong distance of the Gold Cup. Conversely, Accelerate seemingly quashed any concerns about his ability to get the distance when he won the Santa Anita Handicap in March. DR. DORR (5) and PAVEL (6) appear to be the only other entrants with a real chance to win. Dr. Dorr was very impressive winning the Californian here last month, but now he’ll need to prove he can replicate that effort against much better company and at a distance he’s never traveled before. Pavel is a fascinating horse, and if you believe we haven’t seen his best, a case can be made that he’s the value of the race. I’ll use all four of them in different increments.

RACE 6 – CHARLES WHITTINGHAM

As much as I love ITSINTHEPOST (6), it’s hard for me to look at his effort in the Elkhorn most recently in a positive light. While it’s true he ran against an underappreciated horse in One Go All Go, the “good” Itsinthepost shouldn’t have had much issue going by him, speed friendly turf at Keeneland or not. Saturday could present an opportunity where a short priced Itsinthepost is vulnerable, and I’m going to attempt to take advantage. WHAT A VIEW (4) returned to his winning ways most recently in the American on April 21, scoring by a neck in front-running fashion. Saturday will be the first time What a View tries to navigate 10 furlongs, but he should be loose on the lead. If the others allow him to coast on the front, he could be tough to run down late.